The world-famous White Beach of Boracay and Nacpan Beach in El Nido, Palawan have been recognized as among Asia's best beaches based on the rankings of TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2021.
(Tara Yap/File/Manila Bulletin)
Boracay's White Beach ranked 12th while El Nido's Nacpan Beach landed on the 18th spot on the travel website's latest list of the top 25 best beaches in Asia.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat lauded the inclusion of the two Philippine beaches on the list, adding that the country's sun and beach have always been "our best tourism products".
"The TripAdvisor recognition is all the more heartwarming as sun and beach have always been the country’s best tourism products. Boracay, well known for its White Beach and El Nido, Palawan, home of Nacpan Beach, are among the first destinations we opened up," Puyat said on Monday, March 1.
"Filipinos miss going to the beach. In fact, it is one of the top choices of outdoor activities now according to the recent Philippine travel survey," she added.
Puyat was referring to the latest online survey conducted by the DOT with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism, and Guide to the Philippines which showed that outdoor activities such as going to the beach, hiking, and biking were among the preferred activities of tourists in the "new normal."
"While we celebrate our beaches being named among the best in Asia, please be responsible tourists when traveling. Follow all the health and safety protocols for a safe and fun beach trip," the tourism chief emphasized.
This year's TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice factored in the number of times users have "saved" these destinations on their accounts alongside the quality and quantity of the reviews.
The world's largest travel guidance platform listed the top beaches category globally and then split it into different regions.
Also included in Asia's highest-rated beach destinations this year were Agonda and Cavelossim Beaches of India, which claimed the first and second spots, respectively, followed by Ngapalu Beach of Myanmar in third place. For the complete ranking of Asia's top 25 beaches, visit www.tripadvisor.com.ph/TravelersChoice-Beaches-cTop-g2.